Surface-defect-engineered photocatalyst for nitrogen fixation into value-added chemical feedstocks

Efficient dinitrogen (N 2 ) utilization using nitrogen-containing compounds such as ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrates, which are essential materials for modern fertilizers, medicines, etc. , is important to the development of human society. However, the industrial synthesis of NH 3 and nitrates requires...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCatalysis science & technology Vol. 1; no. 18; pp. 698 - 611
Main Authors Chen, Xue, Li, Jing-Yu, Tang, Zi-Rong, Xu, Yi-Jun
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 21.09.2020
Subjects
Ammonia
Defects
Energy consumption
Fertilizers
Nitrates
Nitrogen
Nitrogenation
Photocatalysis
Photocatalysts
Photooxidation
Raw materials
Surface defects
Synthesis
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Summary:Efficient dinitrogen (N 2 ) utilization using nitrogen-containing compounds such as ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrates, which are essential materials for modern fertilizers, medicines, etc. , is important to the development of human society. However, the industrial synthesis of NH 3 and nitrates requires high temperatures and pressures along with massive energy consumption. In this context, photocatalytic N 2 fixation is regarded as an alternative promising strategy for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds under ambient conditions. In this minireview, fundamental photocatalytic N 2 fixation mechanisms, including N 2 photoreduction to NH 3 and photooxidation to nitrates, are initially elaborated. Then, we focus on the effects of surface defect engineering ( e.g. , surface vacancies and heteroatom dopants) over semiconductor-based photocatalysts for efficient N 2 fixation. Finally, we cast a personal perspective on the possible future challenges faced by defect-containing photocatalysts for N 2 fixation. We hope that this minireview can shed light on the further development of rational designs of defect-containing photocatalysts toward efficient N 2 fixation into diverse value-added chemical feedstocks. Surface-defect-engineered photocatalyst for nitrogen fixation.
Bibliography:fixation over semiconductor-based catalysts.
Zi-Rong Tang is a Full Professor working at the College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, P. R. China. Her current research interests primarily focus on the design and fabrication of nanostructured composite materials and their applications in the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis and heterogeneous thermocatalysis.
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Yi-Jun Xu is a Full Professor working at the State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, P. R. China. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and his current research interests primarily focus on the assembly and applications of composite materials in the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis.
Xue Chen is pursuing her master's degree under the supervision of Prof. Yi-Jun Xu at the State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, P. R. China. Her current research interests focus on photocatalytic N
Jing-Yu Li is pursuing her master's degree under the supervision of Prof. Yi-Jun Xu at the State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, P. R. China. Her current research interests focus on the synthesis and application of composite materials in heterogeneous photocatalysis.
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ISSN:2044-4753
2044-4761
DOI:10.1039/d0cy01227k